1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to earth working apparatuses and more specifically to a ditcher or slope cutting device adapted to be connected with a conventional three point hitch mounted at the rear of a conventional tractor. The earth working apparatus includes a rigid square or rectangular frame having pairs of pivot lugs spaced laterally on a front member thereof for pivotal connection to the lower links or arms of a three point hitch and a pair of centrally located upwardly disposed pivot lugs pivotally supporting an upright member having its upper end connected to the upper link or arm of the three point hitch. A hydraulic ram interconnects the frame at a point spaced rearwardly from the front and an upper end portion of the upwardly extending member in order to adjust the angular relation between the frame and the upwardly extending member and angularly adjust the frame in relation to the three point hitch and in relation to the ground surface. The frame includes one or more ground engaging blades which are supported from the frame for adjustable rotatable or pivotal movement in relation to the frame and ground surface about an axis that is perpendicular to the frame thereby enabling the plane of contact with the ground surface to be adjusted as to its angle of inclination due to the capability of varying the angular relation of the frame to the ground surface and variation in the angular disposition of the blade or blades in relation to the frame about an axis perpendicular to the frame. The frame may have various attachments supported therefrom including a scarifier, chisel plows, various other types of plow devices or points, tillers, cultivators, spring tooth harrows, discs, rotating tillers and may have additional frames or attachments and associated earth working apparatuses articulately connected to the frame with all of the earth working apparatuses being controlled remotely by hydraulic and/or manual control devices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is well known, motor graders, sloping devices and the like have been used for forming ditches and otherwise grading or sloping the soil surface. Such devices usually include an elongated frame having rear driving wheels and a cab with operator controls and front steerable wheels with a grader blade supported centrally of the elongated frame in which the grader blade can be adjusted substantially universally in relation to the soil surface to be graded. However, since the blade is positioned generally centrally of the elongated frame, the blade cannot be used to grade or slope surfaces which cannot be accessed due to the front or rear wheels becoming associated with some type of obstruction such as a fence, building wall, culvert or bridge, tree or the like. Other devices for use in earth working for attachment to a three point hitch are illustrated in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.:
4,320,988 PA1 4,572,301 PA1 4,655,297 PA1 5,191,943
None of the prior art discloses the concept of utilizing a rigid frame attached to the three point hitch of a tractor for lifting and lowering the same combined with a structure for pivoting and adjusting the frame about a transverse axis in relation to the three point hitch and providing various blade arrangements supported from the frame with all components being adjusted by hydraulic ram structures or mechanical structures with either type of structure being manually or remotely operated to also pivot the blades about an axis perpendicular to the frame. The blade arrangements include a single elongated traverse blade supported generally centrally of the frame and pivoted about a central vertical axis, a single elongated blade with one or two forwardly or rearwardly mounted wing blades at the corners of the frame and each pivoted about a central vertical axis, wing blades only at the front or rear of the frame and wing blades at the front and elongated blades at the rear all of which can be adjusted about a central axis perpendicular to the frame by hydraulic rams or mechanically with linkage assemblies which can be operated manually or remotely.